Marlborough`s participation in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup was thrown into doubt today with the news that his intended jockey Mick Fitzgerald has lost his battle to be fit for Saturday`s big race at Newbury.
Fitzgerald cracked a bone in a shoulder in a fall from Chalkie Run at the Berkshire track two weeks ago.
When asked if Marlborough was on course for the Hennessy, trainer Nicky Henderson said today: 'I don`t know. All I can tell you at the moment is that Mick Fitzgerald will not be riding this weekend.'
And Fitzgerald`s agent Dave Roberts confirmed: 'He`s going to leave it one more week.'
Connections were desperately hoping Fitzgerald would return in time with Barry Simpson, owner Robert Ogden`s racing manager, saying yesterday: 'Marlborough is a possible but it will depend on whether Mick can ride him. He has done an awful lot of work on the horse and he isn`t straightforward.'
Ogden has three other horses still in the #90,000 handicap chase - market leaders Ad Hoc and Kingsmark and Extra Jack.
Paul Nicholls is to wait until the last possible moment before deciding which of his three horses will run in the Newbury showpiece.
The Shepton Mallet trainer has leading fancy Ad Hoc and Extra Jack, both owned by Ogden, and Norski Lad left in the #90,000 Handicap Chase at Newbury on Saturday.
'I haven`t decided what`s going to run,' he said. 'That will be decided on Friday morning.
'Extra Jack has other alternatives and we have made no decision on Norski Lad although he has got closer to the handicap with the weights going up.
'I`ve made no plans. I am going to school them on Thursday morning and make a decision later in the week. The same applies to Ad Hoc.'
Ladbrokes have Ad Hoc as 4-1 joint favourite with Kingsmark, who also carries Ogden`s colours. Marlborough is 14-1 while Extra Jack and Norski Lad are both 33-1.
